Beinji
Birthplace of the odhan race, Beinji is the southernmost nation in all of Estvoled and is nearby the hazardous Chronofell -- a landmass so plagued with Chrono that it has long captured the attention and imaginations of Beinji's people. The country is overall distant from others, even other nations within the Veriol Alliance, and exports pop culture, actors, and music more than it participates in wars or foreign affairs. In the Veriol Alliance, it's said that Beinji's representatives will only appear at summits and meetings for two reasons: They were forced to, or they need a favor. Despite this, Beinji is an economic powerhouse for the Veriol Alliance with some reports indicating that Beinji alone accounts for approximately 40% of all Veriol funding. Furthermore, Beinji is one of the oldest members of the Veriol Alliance, and its ambassadors will eagerly point out grandfathered clauses that allow them to skirt being present at dealings that they have no vested interest in. As a result, Beinji's chronic absence in Veriol Alliance business is tolerated, and it is uncommon for them to have a great many representatives in the Veriol Alliance's government despite their history with the Alliance. Beinji's people tend to have a natural musical lilt to their voice, almost as if half-singing any word that has particular emphasis. This "accent" is less pronounced in Standard, said to be because the language is ill-suited for singing compared to native Beinji tongues. While assimilation and cultural osmosis from other countries have wiped out the "always-singing" speech in densely populated areas, small communities that still cling to their traditions will sing to convey particular nuance impossible to capture with mere spoken word. Even in metropolis areas, however, Beinji still employs the "trial by song" that they are known for throughout Estvoled for its peculiarity. At the conclusion of criminal court cases or when appealing imprisonment, the defendant may request a trial by song. During a trial by song, the defendant pleads their case -- without the aid of any lawyers or other legal assistance -- to make their case before the highest Beinji judges, who can listen for the "heart" of the song and determine the defendant's guilt or lack thereof. The actual quality of the singing is mostly irrelevant, for trials by song are meant to be an outpouring of emotion above all else. Contrary to popular belief, trials by song do not overturn court cases alone; Beinji high judges can request a reconsideration of evidence or uphold previous court decisions, but they alone cannot declare someone guilty or not guilty in the eyes of the law. In many cases, trials by song have eventually led to exonerating innocents who would have otherwise been imprisoned. Nonetheless, public opinion is split on the value of the trial by song in a modern age with magic and science leaving less subjectivity in determining guilt. Some say that it is a valuable tradition that must be upheld and can do some good; others believe it to be meaningless and a waste of courts' time, especially when the Beinji judges request a continuation of an otherwise complete trial for what they "heard" in the song. Category:Estvoled Category:Ealdremen Nations Category:No Spoilers